Polyethersulfone hollow fiber modified with poly(styrenesulfonate) and Pd nanoparticles for catalytic reaction

Abstract

The aim of this work is the synthesis of polymer-stabilized Pd nanoparticles (PdNP) inside a functionalized polymeric porous membrane in order to develop hybrid catalytic membrane reactors and to test them in model metal-catalyzed organic reactions. For this goal, a polymeric membrane support (Polyethersulfone hollow fibershaped) was firstly functionalized with an ionogenic polymer (i.e. poly(styrenesulfonate) capable to retain PdNP precursors using an UV photo-grafting method. PdNP were then generated inside the polymeric matrix by chemical reduction of precursor salts (intermatrix synthesis). The catalytic performance of the PdNP catalytic membranes was evaluated using reduction of nitrophenol by sodium borohydride (NaBH4)in water.